Charlie Rose and Gayle King pressed outgoing Senator Jim DeMint on Thursday's CBS This Morning over congressional Republicans resistance to tax hikes. When DeMint stated that President Obama will "probably eventually get his tax increases one way or another", Rose replied, "So, if he will get them, why not get them now and compromise and avoid going off the fiscal cliff?"

Open Obama booster King added the bad polling numbers for Republicans into the mix as she tried to get the senator to surrender to the President's demand: "You released a statement...saying this is not rocket science...with that in mind, why can't we come to terms? The public is viewing the Republican Party very negatively. Are you concerned about that?" Rose later wondered why DeMint was leaving the Senate to head the conservative Heritage Foundation.

The PBS veteran led the interview with the issue of the ongoing fiscal cliff negotiations. He first asked the South Carolina politician, "What do you think is going to happen?" DeMint answered, in part, that "I wish I knew...But I do know this - that this government doesn't need more money. This country needs less government. To take more money out of the real economy, and to give it to politicians and bureaucrats...is not going to help the middle class or anyone else."

The Republican senator continued by conceding that the President is going to get his tax hikes, which led to Rose's exhortation for "compromise." DeMint replied, "Well, we should have done it before the election....I've been a businessman most of my life, and I know the damage from this uncertainty...has already been done, and you combine that with the implementation of ObamaCare and...I think you're already going to see some downturn in our economy."

The CBS This Morning crew has a habit of beseeching conservatives/Republicans to wave the white flag. On November 26, 2012, Rose and co-anchor Norah O'Donnell tried to get Senator Bob Corker to commit to higher income tax rates. The following morning, O'Donnell hounded best-selling Christian author Rick Warren to give up his opposition to same-sex "marriage."

The full transcript of the Jim DeMint interview on Thursday's CBS This Morning:

CHARLIE ROSE: Also in Washington is Republican Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina. Senator, good morning.

SEN. JIM DEMINT, (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: Good morning, Charlie.

[CBS News Graphic: "Fiscal Cliff Notes: Sen. DeMint On Stalemate"]

ROSE: Senator, what do you think is going to happen?

DEMINT: (laughs) I  I wish I knew, though most of us here are  are not in the loop of what they're discussing. But I  I do know this - that this government doesn't need more money. This country needs less government. To take more money out of the real economy, and to give it to politicians and bureaucrats - no matter who you take it from - is not going to help the middle class or anyone else. The President's proposal clearly is not a plan. It's not a solution. It will fund the government for a few days-

ROSE: So you're  you're-

DEMINT: And we all  we all realize it's a political trophy. It's not a solution. But we  the President's been campaigning against these tax rates for a long time, and he'll probably eventually get his tax increases one way or another.

ROSE: So, if he will get them, why not get them now and compromise and avoid going off the fiscal cliff?

DEMINT: Well, we should have done it before the election. We  we should not have gone home until the problem was solved, and people could see how we had actually handled it here, so they would know how to vote in the election. But I've been a businessman most of my life, and I know the damage from this uncertainty has already done  has already been done, and you combine that with the implementation of ObamaCare and those taxes  I think you're already going to see some downturn in our economy because of what's been going on here. We can't fix it Christmas Eve and expect it all to bounce back in January.

GAYLE KING: Senator, you're talking about the damage that's been done. You released a statement last week, saying this is not rocket science. And, with that in mind, why can't we come to terms? You know, the  the public is viewing the Republican Party very negatively. Are you concerned about that?

DEMINT: Well, I'm  I'm not so much concerned about the parties. I think both parties have  have failed our  our country, and I know what the American public has been told. The President campaigned on raising taxes and getting rid of the Bush-era tax cuts, and he's going to get his wish. I believe we're going to be raising taxes not just on the top  top earners. Everyone's going pay more taxes next year in this country, and I think that's what the President wants. But we've doubled the size of this government in double-spending over the last 10 years. This year, tax revenues, at current tax rates, will probably be at historic highs. And if you look at the facts, we don't need more revenue. We just need to stop the spending. The President is not going to stop spending. He's proposed-

DEMINT: Well, I can see conservative ideas working all over the country. A number of states are implementing conservative ideas. Their economies are turning around, jobs are being created, but we have not done a good enough job of convincing Americans that less government, less taxes, and a more vibrant economy is really going to work for every American. And so, I spent most of my life in advertising and marketing and research, and I want to go back to the battle of ideas. I just think, unless we win the hearts and minds of the American people, we're not going to win elections with conservative ideas. So, we've got a lot of work to do, and the Heritage Foundation is the most prominent, preeminent conservative think tank in this country. So, it's a great opportunity to change the debate.

Clearly, they will not avoid blame by the media and the Current Regime in the White Hut, nor by the Majority Leader in the Senate. Great calumny will be heaped upon the Republicans either way, whether they agree or not. The difference is, that the base will then be certain beyond all doubt they were double-crossed (the outcome the Current Occpant really wants) if the Republicans DO agree, and the accusations will fly thick and fast if they DON’T agree, with the economy going over the cliff despite their non-compliance.

Which is going to happen anyway, for a host of reasons besides not altering the tax rate that is due to go into effect on January 2nd.

We are going to hit the spending limit, you know, and sequestration will happen. Whether there is further legislation or not.

When we CANNOT borrow, at any rate, we become a very large version of Greece.

Reality bites. Right in the gluteus maximus.

7
posted on 12/13/2012 1:29:49 PM PST
by alloysteel
(Bronco Bama - the cowboy who whooped up and widened the stampede.)

What a bunch of nonsense. These people do love the dramatic don’t they? Well Ms King the real fiscal cliff was hurdled over each of the 4 years under Obama as America had 1 Trillion dollars if debt each of those years and lost its 4 star credit rating.
What is happening right now is just liberal agenda politics.
Congress could raise taxes on every American to 50 percent and not make a serious dent in our DEFICITS and of course still adding to our debt. But you can not say that fact can you? Doesn’t play into your agenda..

8
posted on 12/13/2012 1:35:25 PM PST
by SECURE AMERICA
(Where can I sign up for the New American Revolution and the Crusades 2012?)

I’ve been sort of saying the same thing. Give him what he wants on taxes. He has the votes to do so anyway. change the conversation to spending. However the problem is obama won’t cut any spending so thus no deal. Obama wants the tax cuts to expire and start over next year with “obama tax cuts”. Boehner is being played like a violin

Never said Bronco Bama was a very good cowboy. More like a lurking outlaw that sometimes got to express his exuberance by riding into town and unleashing all kinds of mischief.

Like stampeding the whole herd over the cliff.

American cowboys were NOT uniformly good, just, hardworking taciturn men of steely courage and highly honed skills of the trade. A lot of them were just on the run from the law and were hiding out in rural areas until the heat died down.

16
posted on 12/13/2012 2:08:32 PM PST
by alloysteel
(Bronco Bama - the cowboy who whooped up and widened the stampede.)

I do know that is true in the case of public education. We hear: Give us more money and we will get the job done. It doesnt happen, because the educationists dont know what they should do. Indeed, they dont want to admit that it is the collapse of the family and the many false ideas that have been built into the curriculum that the root of the matter. They cannot, because they believe in the efficacy of these ideas,

I do know that is true in the case of public education. We hear: Give us more money and we will get the job done. It doesnt happen, because the educationists dont know what they should do. Indeed, they dont want to admit that it is the collapse of the family and the many false ideas that have been built into the curriculum that the root of the matter. They cannot, because they believe in the efficacy of these ideas,

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